Sleep Deprived
by Wolfofsherwood
Summary: The Titans have been fighting Red X for days at a time. Raven is especially tired and something goes wrong. But then something goes right. Fluffy RedRae Help, the fluff bunnies took over my brain! Rated for mild language and one sort-of-serious injury.


The fluff bunnies kind of took over my brain... I know, it's terrible, but I wrote this a while ago, and then edited it earlier today, so I don't like it but I still like it, you know? Well, tell me what you think and don't be afraid to tell me if it's complete crap.

Pairing: Red X/Raven

* * *

They were fighting, yet again. Red X and the Teen Titans, that was. They were always fighting these days. X had gotten an itching in his fingers and he was stealing things every other night now, robbing his dear friends of sleep they so desperately needed.

Starfire looked haggard, her red hair limp and not nearly as vibrant. She'd been running patrols for the past week and they'd been bogged down with criminals for a very long time, even before Red X started his little game with them all.

Beastboy was looking a little slower than usual and didn't offer up any of his lame jokes to cheer everyone up. His vibrant green skin was now an olive color, drab and dark because he was tired and he suffered from a constant headache because of it.

Robin was taking it like a man, running around even more than if he'd had sleep, pretending that everything was just peachy and fighting with everything he had every single time. He was going to run himself right down into the ground, but only his teammates could guess that.

Cyborg was much the same, but his batteries were low and he wasn't in the best of moods. He was trying to hide his battery cells and how low they were by plugging in when he was hanging around the tower, but the neglected T-Car and the busted robots that remained unfixed were an indication of how irritable he'd become. Everyone was touchy and none of them wanted to keep fighting.

"Looking a little slow, Boy Blunder," Red X taunted, holding the priceless artifact in his hands. He was always very careful about his treasures, making sure not to break them so he could sell them for the highest price. Unlike the Teen Titans, he was looking like he could go on fighting forever. He must have slept during the day.

The Titans charged on him, following patterns they'd practiced far too often. Red X dodged them all nimbly, incapacitating and always sure of things before he even thought about his movements. He counted the titans, though, thinking that something was up. Sure enough, he counted Cutie, the Tin Can, Grass Stain, and Boy Blunder, but there was no Sunshine in the mix. Where was that dark little Goth girl?

Turning around and being encased in a wave of black magic answered his question. He winced under his mask as Robin and the others gathered around a very worn-out Raven, who was practically dead on her feet. She was usually the one who needed more sleep, if the bags under her eyes were any indication. Robin clapped her on the shoulder, but she didn't look very happy to be there.

"So, how does it feel to be caught?" Robin asked, moving around and slipping cuffs onto Red X. For his part, the villain struggled as much as possible, but Raven's powers, with the demon inside of her taking a little more control in her tired state, were too strong for him to move his arms.

"Actually, I'm kind of liking Sunshine here giving me a psychic hug," Rex X told them flirtatiously, hoping to waver Raven's concentration. Raven just scowled and her grip on him tightened, making him yelp.

"Ease up a little, would you Raven?" Robin asked. "We don't want him to have any broken ribs when we take him to jail." Raven's scowl grew and her grip loosened a micro-millimeter. She turned to Robin for any other orders.

"What is he, your dad?" Red X asked stupidly, hoping that maybe a jab in this direction would make her lose her concentration. Unfortunately, it did just that and Raven's eyes glowed an eerie red color that made her look very dark and very disturbing.

Whether it was the sleep deprivation, the jab at her father, or the simple fact that there was a demon inside of her, no one would ever know, but Raven lost it in the moment. She opened her four eyes and the grip on Red X tightened so that he was gasping for breath and then using that breath to shout in pain. Raven tried to gain her control back, of course, slipping into Nevermore and trying to control the thing that Rage had become.

All of her other selves helped her to seal that aspect of her personality away once more, but it was too late to stop the damage. Red X was on the ground, gasping for his air supply and the other Titans were staring at her in shock. They'd assumed that after their defeat of Trigon this would stop, but apparently they were wrong. Robin looked hurt that she hadn't shared this with him, but Raven only pulled her cloak over her eyes and disappeared without saying a word.

Red X took the time in the confusion to teleport himself home, landing in a heap next to his well-stocked bathroom cabinet, which was actually more like a pharmacy without the buying part. He stripped his suit and tried to wrap himself up, but ended up calling over a few friends, namely Jinx and Kid Flash, both of whom had taken off into the sunset after meeting each other. They laughed at him, of course, but since they were both sworn to secrecy about his identity, Red X had no worries about who was going to find out.

He just sighed and listened to the crackle of his lungs while he rested for a bit. He would have to see what was wrong with that girl, actually. She intrigued him for some odd reason and he wasn't one to lose fights. His grin lit up the empty room. Sunshine needed a little pick-me-up. He'd annoy her out of her stupor and maybe even let the little Titans sleep for a little while.

Raven sat on the roof, sighing over and over again. She'd managed to wrestle her control back, but she'd hurt someone the Teen Titans had a sort of truce with. Red X didn't try to kill them and they didn't try to kill him. That was the silent promise they'd made as enemies. But of course, she had to go and break that little promise by being her normal creepy self. Rage was going to be yelled at forever if she didn't stop freaking out on people.

Raven wasn't surprised to find Robin walking up behind her as she tried to sink into a meditative state. "You need some sleep, just like the rest of us," Robin reminded her gently, still acting the part of a leader even though they both knew that she wouldn't really listen to him anyway.

"I can rest through meditation, Robin," Raven reminded him gently, forcing her body to remain relaxed and calm even though her emotions were in turmoil that would take days of strict fasting and meditation. Happy wanted to hug Robin. Rage wanted to kill Red X for making her lose sleep. Intelligence was questioning why that lapse in control could be brought on by non-existent father issues. Timid was hesitantly suggesting foul ways to deal with a certain Rude Raven while said Raven was hoping that they could make Red X a slave. Brave was willing to fight Red X again and Love was wondering just how badly they'd hurt the poor man.

"I just want you to know that no one blames you," Robin told her, obviously thinking that those words would help. In actuality, they made her feel worse, but Raven forced a smile on her face and nodded to him.

"I just need to concentrate a little more," she told him, feigning like a good girl so he wouldn't worry about her. She sighed when he was gone, sinking to the ground and holding her head in her hands.

"I'm evil," she murmured to herself, finding that only Intelligence and Kind disagreed. The rest were off in their own version of the sentence, making Raven's head spin. It was oh so very confusing to sort herself up like that, but she couldn't exactly keep them all together. They would have been unbearable as one entity.

"You're anything but, Sunshine," someone said from behind her. Without thinking, Raven lashed out with her demonic power, knocking said someone off of the roof and then catching him as she caught herself slipping into the demonic phase. She wanted so badly to be just a normal girl and she felt like she could break the man in front of her.

Red X wasn't wearing his suit the right way now, although his mask still covered his face and his body seemed to be as fit as ever. It was just wrapped in bandages and looked like he was in pain from the sudden toss and catch that Raven had performed.

Once she saw him, her bad mood was back and Raven was on guard. Had this man come for revenge? Was he angry that she'd lost her control for even a second? Was he terrified like the others were? Could he forgive her for being such a terrible person?

"That was a good hit," Red X continued, looking at Raven with something Raven couldn't identify. She wasn't exactly the queen of emotions, but she could guess that he was staring at her body, which was looking skinnier and paler because she was out in the cold and wet. She was also paler than usual, with blue veins running along her limbs.

"I hurt you," Raven told him, her words heavy with anger and self-loathing. She hated herself for making the great Red X look like he was some mummy. She respected the villains who weren't completely useless, like a certain Dr. Light. Red X was a good villain and he didn't hurt people while he was on his heists or try to destroy the world. In fact, he sometimes acted as the hero when they were facing real trouble.

"This is nothing, Beautiful," Rex X told her, smirking. Raven could sense it more than see it, but she also felt other things in his aura. He was hungry and he hurt, but it wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be. He seemed a little angry, but it was more annoyance that actual rage. All in all, he was a pretty cheerful guy, if she took off the insatiable greed that he had and the annoying bad jokes. His pride was also something to be wary of, but he had a good heart and that was important.

"Nothing is a paper cut," Raven told him matter-of-factly. "Nothing is a grazed knee. Breaking ribs is definitely not nothing." She sighed, settling down now that she knew the person she was talking to was only a villain. It didn't strike her as odd that he could get up to the roof without being detected by security. The tower was conspicuous and Red X could get anywhere.

Red X grinned, Raven could just sense it, and sat down, holding in his yelp of pain as his bandages constricted his chest. It wasn't fun to be in his position. Raven's self-loathing only deepened and she was ready to flee to her room, to take refuge in Nevermore, or even to just get out of the situation. She was tired and cranky and she'd almost killed a man today. If she could cry about things like that without her powers being completely out of control, she would have.

Noticing this, Red X scooted closer to Raven, who had closed her eyes despite her tenacity to stay awake. She jerked away from him, but he was quick and snagged her arm before she could sink through the ground or fly away like she always did. The concern was obvious in his aura, although his mask betrayed nothing and he expected Raven to think of him as nothing more than scum. He was, really. He was just really sexy scum with quick hands.

"Let go," Raven ordered, torn between getting away from this stranger who presented a terrible fate that could kill her and wanting to stay in those warm arms and seek whatever comfort she could get for being such a terrible person.

"Make me," Red X told her, his grin returning while he snaked his other arm around her waist. Raven felt her inclination to slap him, but he was injured. Of course, he was also not doing anything to her, but he always had the possibility to do so. Consulting Intelligence, Raven could find no precedent. She had nothing to go on except her instincts. Of course, those instincts weren't exactly helpful.

The villain seemed to see her struggle and thought that his plan was working. She wasn't so depressed and the little bird seemed to be getting angry with him. If she could get through this without killing him then she could realize that what had happened was a fluke and nothing more. He wanted this girl to keep fighting him.

Unfortunately, there was a hitch in his supposedly-perfect plan. When Raven's big eyes turned on him, he was caught. She had him dazzled and his grip loosened. Raven immediately scooted away, pulling her cloak around her so that she didn't have to deal with that man. She was too tired to do much else and his voice fueled her headache.

"Mind if I sleep here, at least, Sunshine?" Red X asked, settling down before Raven could even think about the question. His head rested in her lap and Raven pushed him away, but he was stubborn and pulled out some puppy-dog eyes. When Beast Boy did that, even in play, Raven was beaten as well, plus the cries of an injured man overwhelmed her senses. She didn't want to help him, or even look at him, but his bandages called out to her soul. She had to heal him slowly, but make sure he never knew. If he did, she would never live it down.

"You'd better be grateful I'm nice to you," Raven told him, frowning worse than usual. "If I even shout loudly enough, they'll come running."

Red X only grunted and settled into her warmth. Once his breath evened out, Raven let out a sigh of frustration. She wanted to leave him to rot, but she _needed_ to help him and make him better. Her clashing natures were making her head spin and Nevermore seemed to be in an uproar about it. Even Lazy and Timid were fighting, although half-heartedly.

Raven's hands moved with their glowing white over the cracked ribs, mending slowly and sighing life into the criminal's body. If anyone ever saw her doing this, she would probably be accused of consorting with lowlifes.

For his part, Red X snuggled against her hand, the sensations of healing flesh obviously comforting to him. Raven wasn't too happy about this, but when his mask jabbed her in the navel, she acted. If she was going to heal him, she was at least going to see his face. Her fingers twitched at the edge, pulling slightly to savor the moment. Pale skin was revealed inch by inch while Raven memorized his face and engraved it in her mind for later.

Little did she know that Red X was still on the verge of consciousness. He could feel his mask coming off, but in the warmth he was feeling, he didn't want to move. When the cold air hit his forehead, though, his eyes widened and he shot up, ignoring the pain in his ribs.

Wait. What pain in his ribs? He was healed and he saw Raven give a start with the bandages in her hands. She'd been slowly unwrapping him and in her mouth were three butterfly clips. Her eyes had turned red with surprise, but there weren't demons in her gaze. Instead, she looked simply annoyed that her work was being interrupted.

"Whoever did this was sloppy," she told him defensively, admiring his face in secret. He was handsome and daring, a lot like Robin in many ways, but his green eyes were mischievous. Raven felt the instant pull of attraction, but she knew that it had to have been physical. He was the opposite of her and completely annoying with jokes that were as lame as Beast Boy's and a mouth that only shot off snotty comebacks.

Red X was surprised to see his little bird in such a compromising position. Without her mouth, there were no words of power and she couldn't fight much. The villain grinned and leaned toward the girl, who leaned back like she was about to be infected with the plague.

"You're anything but evil, Sunshine," Red X told her, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "You're generous and naïve." He inched closer. "And you're beautiful." Still closer. "And you're very tempting." Raven was backed against the wall, her lips with butterfly clips in them. She didn't know whether it was her blasted instincts or if she had some seventh sense about those things, but she didn't move from that first spot where she'd settled.

And then their lips touched and Raven felt herself losing control once more. It wasn't Rage this time, though. Instead, Lust peered her pretty little head out from whatever hiding place she'd chosen. Raven felt her body warm up even though Red X had barely brushed their lips together. He took the butterfly clips in his teeth and pulled back, smirking as Raven growled a little. He'd caught her, alright. It was hook, line, and sinker all the way.

"Thanks for the nap, Sunshine," Red X told her, his grin disappearing under his mask.

"Raven," Raven growled, her emotions not subdued yet. Now Rage was taking a little bit of the action. Red X turned to look her in the eye, so she was sure to repeat herself. "Call me Raven."

The criminal nodded and then leaned down low, kissing the Goth girl's belly. She gasped and tried to swat his head away, but Red X was on his feet again in a flash.

"That's my sleeping spot," he told her, grinning from ear to ear under his mask. "I want it back again tomorrow." He reached for his teleporting button and paused for a moment, just long enough for Raven to react with a growl that sounded like it was going to rip her throat apart. "Todd," he told her shortly.

Raven nodded and felt herself actually smile. "Rest for a week or you'll hurt yourself again," she told him sternly, not expecting him to nod and kiss her forehead before leaving. She blushed uncharacteristically, but she hoped that it was just some strange reaction to something she ate. Red X was thinking along the same lines, but he was rather pleased with how he could make the unsmiling statue of a girl smile. She was beautiful when she did and he couldn't wait until he figured out exactly what could make her smile.

If she was evil, she was a temptress, not a demon, he noted. He couldn't wait to see her again, either.


End file.
